Camp kit



June 29,1926. 1,590,586

E. J. M DONALD CAMP KIT Filed August v. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 29 1926.

J. MCDONALD CAMP KIT Filed August 7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III I Patented June 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES EDWARD J. MCDONALD, OF DOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CAMP KIT.

Application filed August My invention is a camp kit comprising a trunk or container having compartments for ice, food, dishes, canned goods and the like and an arrangement for storing a folding table within the framework of the trunk and packing telescopic benches over the trunk to bind the load in position. The trunk with the table and benches may be secured to the running board of an automobile. I

In my invention the trunk or box part of the container is formed with a back and side walls extending above the top of the trunk and with the end walls extending forwardly of a pivoted door, so that the space on top of the trunk may be utilized for storing the table legs and the table top may be folded and positioned in front of the door between the projecting ends or side walls. The whole load is firmly bound in position by telescopic benches which are graduated in size to fitover the trunk having web strapping to engage the 11 per corner of the'folded table and hence ind the table, the legs and the trunk in a compact load.

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawing in which F igur 1 is a perspective view of the camp trunk or storage box with the door open in position for use as a working-table.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the table in unfolded set up position.

Figs. 3 and 1 are perspective views of the telescopic benches disassembled for use.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, showing the detail fastening of the legs to-the table.

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective of the screw threaded bushing shown in Fig. 5.-

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the camp kit in its packed position for traveling.

Fig. 8 isa cross section of Fig. 7 on the line 88 through the storage compartment.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of Fig. 7 on the line 9- 9 showing the ice chamber.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the trunk or storage box open with the telescoping benches shown in section.

The trunk or camp storage box is designated generally by the numeral 1 and 1s constructed with a base board 2, a rear wall 3, end or side walls at and a hinged door 5 at the front. The top 6, is below the upper edges 7 of the sides and the rear wall and the door 5 is hinged as shown by the numeral 8 back from the front edge 9 0f the '7, 1925. Serial No. 48,724.

the door 5 may rest when in the open posi-' tion. I

.The container 10 has a pair of vertical partitions 12 forming at the left hand side air icecompartment 13 with a drainage pipe 14 extending through the base board and with a receptacle 15 at the right hand side to hold thermos bottles or the like. The central compartment 15 is provided with a removable deep tray 16 in which dishes may be placed and a removable shelf 17 which may be utilizedto form a closure for the tray. An ice box door 18 is hinged on one side of the ice compartment and is provided with a lock so that the ice box may be kept closed even when the door '5 is open.

The folding table shown particularly in Figs. 2, 8 and 9 has a pair of table boards 19 hinged together at the bottom inner edge 20 and having swivelled straps 21 pivoted on pins 22to swing crosswise of the boards and form a support at the center. The legs 23 have a screw threaded bolt 24 fixed perma-' nently in their upper ends by means of a pin 25 extending through the legs and through the bolts. The table boards have a socket 26 formed in their upper surface with a screw threaded bushing 27 fitted therein with a rectangular shoulder 28 fitting in the socket 26. A small capping piece of wood 29 is inserted in the socket abovethebushing to harmonize with the finish of the top of the table.

The telescoping benches shown particu- -1arly in Figs. 3, 4, and 7 have seat boards 30 with legs 31 connected by web angle bracing 32. These benches are made one sufficiently larger than the other to fit thereover and {Torm za neat telescoping fit as shown in My camp kit is utilized substantially. as follows: When it is open as shown in Fig. 1 the utensils ma be removed and goods may be inserted an taken out of the ice chest or compartment and the door 5 may be utilized as a serving table during the preparation of a meal. pack up the kit the trunk or storage box will be loaded with the dishes, food, etc., which it is designed to carry, the ice box will be firmly closed and the lid 5 hinged upwardly thereby forming a closure door. This will preferably have a snap fastener,

g se ase but otherwise is preferable with a smooth unobstructed front face.

The table is disassembled by. unscrewing the legs 23 from the bushing 27, turning the straps 21 so that the table boards may be folded and inserting, these folded in the folded position on the front portion of the base board behind the lip 11 which holds them firmly at the bottom. The legs are then placed on the top 6, being retained in position by the upper edges 7 of the sides and rear wall and by the folded table boards.

The smaller bench is then placed over the trunk with the bottom of the seat resting on the upper edge 7 of the sides and back wall. The webs 23 extend diagonally across the upper edges of the folded table boards and the back or rear wall 3 and hence bind the load composed of the trunk, the folded table boards and thelegs into a compact bundle. The legs 31 of the bench bind against the side walls 4: of the trunk and extend downwardly usually to a position adjacent the base board 2. The larger bench may then be placed over the smaller bench fitting closely thereto in a telescopic manner so that both benches are securely held in position.

In the construction shown, I have illustrated the trunk as having the base board 2 ofv the rear wall 3 and the side walls 4 made of wood and the container 10 as being formed of sheet metal indicated by the numeral 33 which may be utilized as a covering on the base board and on the sides and back wall. The door 5 is shown as made of metal, thus when the camp kit is loaded the wood forms a good heat insulator maintaining the ice chest cool. It will be understood that the whole of the trunk or storage box could be made of metal with the ice chest properly heat insulated. The

base board is adapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the running board of an automobile or may be carried on the brackets at the rear thereof.

It will be obvious that my camp kit may be considerably changed without departing from the spirit thereof. The internal arrangement of the trunk or storage box may be materially altered to suit the personal requirements of travelers and diiferent types of tables may be supplied and fitted against the front of the trunk. If desired the top of the trunk may be\utilized for storage of folding beds or bedding and have the whole load bound into position by the benches. I In this case it would be desirable to increase the size of the web 23 or use diagonal bracing bars which would function to hold the load in position.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A camp kit comprising in combination a storage box havin a base board, rear, side and top walls, a door hinged to the box adjacent the base board to close upwardly on the front of thebox, apair of vertical partitions at each end of the box forming compartments, one of said compartments having a door adapted to form an ice box, a drainage pipe from said compartment through the base board, a removable shelf between the partitions, a removable tray below the removable shelf between the partitions, and a lip extending upwardly from the base board and spaced from the door, the base board between the door and the lip being adapted to support a load placed in front of the box, the said lip being positioned to engage the door and support same when opened in a horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD J. MCDONALD. 

